Every Thursday, a rotating group of writers offer some ideas about how and where to play with your kids. Today, Liz Baird, director of school programs for the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, offers up this idea.

I’ve just returned from leading a teacher workshop in Central America, and as I unpack my duffle bag I pull out a variety of treasures – pieces of pumice from the beach…. a smooth stone from a stream at our lodge…a minute pine cone from the trees near the pier. I add them to the collection of natural items that already live on my desk.

I have always filled my pockets with items that I found interesting – and my mom supported that curiosity. Instead of complaining when a load of laundry included the nuts, rocks and other goodies left in my shorts, mom created a “wonder bowl” to hold the treasures. She took a wooden bowl and wrote “Liz’s Wonder Bowl” on the side. The idea was that I could empty all my finds into it before putting my clothes in the hamper. If there was something I was particularly curious about, we could pull out a field guide or encyclopedia, and try and figure out what I had found. I also suspect that mom discreetly removed things that would start to rot, such as mushrooms and flowers.

That encouragement to pick up natural objects, bring them home, and learn more about them, helped shape my passion for the outdoors. When I look at my desk I still use the “wonder bowl” strategy – I’ve identified Overcup Oaks from their acorns, and a Red Spotted Purple Butterfly from a piece of a wing. I can compare the “Keyhole Urchin” (commonly called a Sand Dollar) found on the North Carolina coast with the “Common Sand Dollar” (it doesn’t have holes like ours do) found up in New England. I have two rounded stones that are actually fossilized coral, brought from Alaska by a friend, which help me think about how the climate of the earth has changed over time.

Rachel Carson said: “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in."

Creating a “wonder bowl” for your child is a great place to start.

Check out our other daily themes at TriangleMom2Mom:

MONDAY: Meet!
TUESDAY: Ask!
WEDNESDAY: Eat!
THURSDAY: Play!
FRIDAY: Out!

WEEKEND: Relax!